Child of the Sword
by LadyKnightSephiroth
Summary: She must learn to use her fathers sword to defend her honor and that of her parents, But can she protect herself from the demons of her past?
1. Chapter 1

I don't own any of the characters/ names in the game Final Fantasy 7. Square Enix owns them.

Child of the Sword

Jewel walked through the deserted alleyway in the ruins of Midgar. Something had drawn her to this place. She visited almost daily since she began to fell this odd pull. 'There must be something here,' She always thought, as she looked around, but never found anything.

Jewel turned around to head back home when something caught her eye. It was a small yellow flower sitting in a basket. 'How could she have missed something like this she thought,' but dismissed the baskets odd origins. Picking up the flower to examine it she noticed something in the basket, a note.

"Meet me at the old church three days from today."

To make sure she hadn't missed anything Jewel turned the odd note over in her hands. There was nothing more to the message. She looked back down at the flower. "Well it looks freshly picked," she said aloud to herself, "But how do I know the note is for me." Something moved at the end of the alley, or else the dim light was playing a trick on her eyes. The note was unsigned, and didn't give any details on what church, or where it was. Sighing she picked up the basket and turned to go home, checking over her shoulder as she left.

Jewel noticed immediately, as she walked in the front door to the house she shared with her mother, that things were not going to be easy tonight. There were alcohol bottles on the kitchen counter, and in the living room. Her mother had been drinking again. Jewel thought about leaving, and not coming back. She thought about doing this many times, but never did. Her mother needed her during times like this. She couldn't leave her alone. Setting the basket with the flower and note on the counter, Jewel went to the lonely task of cleaning up the mess. Her mother would be passed out by now.

Jewel's mother Ashe was beautiful before she met Jewel's father, but after Jewel was born Ashe took up drinking. Ashe hated her daughter most days, but there was the rare moment when the two would bond. Jewel remembered each day they would spend together happily, but the happiness would always end. Jewel never had a chance to learn who her father was. Her mother would become violent every time Jewel brought up the subject. Something her father had done made her mother angry. Jewel had a pretty good idea though who her father might be, but no one would confirm, nor deny her suspicion. Jewel had bright green eyes, which she was named for, and long beautiful silver hair, and was much taller than most other people. She was almost afraid to know who her father was. Looking back at the beer bottles in her hands, Jewel thought, she didn't want to meet anyone who can make a person do this to themselves. He father had literally driven her mother to drinking.

Hearing something from upstairs Jewel put the bottles in her hands in the garbage can and went to check on her mother. There were more beer bottles on the stair, and even more probably in the bedroom. Stopping by the bathroom door Jewel heard the sound of a flushing toilet. "Mother must have gotten stared early today to be this hung over now," Jewel whispered to herself so her mother wouldn't hear. Checking in the bedroom Jewel found what she expected to find. 'It's almost like she's trying to drink herself to death' Jewel thought to herself. After clearing away some of the bottles Jewel went downstairs to fix her mother a light snack. She glanced at the basket when she got downstairs, but didn't think of much when she saw it, more focused on a snack for her mother. She got out the bread and other things needed to make a sandwich, but something bothered her. She glanced back at the basket. Was she being followed? How else would someone know to leave the basket where she would find it? Or was the basket meant for someone else? Dismissing these thoughts, Jewel took the now prepared sandwich and a glass of water upstairs. Stopping by the bathroom door again Jewel listened, still in there, good Jewel thought. She really didn't want to have to deal with her mother like this.

Jewel placed the plate with the sandwich on it on the dresser, and the glass of water on the table next to the bed. She was about to leave when Jewel noticed something sparkling on the floor in the corner. It was a delicate necklace made out of silver. Her mother must have thrown it in the corner. Jewel recognized it; it was a necklace her father had given her mother, a heart with a tiny rose in the middle. Hearing the toilet flush again Jewel shoved the necklace into her jeans pocket, and ran downstairs, she did not want to have to confront her mother when she was like this.

The next few days past without incident, her mother barely left her room, so Jewel made meals and set them outside the door. Each day making her trip to the alley, but she didn't feel like she had to go anymore, was the basket what she was looking for? On her way back home Jewel noticed the kitchen light was on. She considered going for a longer walk, but knew it would only be worse facing her mother later.

Jewel walked in the front door and knew there would be a fight. The whole house smelled like alcohol. She heard her mother in the kitchen, so Jewel tried to sneak quietly up to her room, but her mother knew, somehow, her mother always knew when she came home.

"JEWEL!" came the sharp yell from the kitchen. 'I can always run away' Jewel thought as she walked in the kitchen, but dismissed the thought. Her mother was standing in the middle of the kitchen with a beer bottle in hand. "You thief!" her mother yelled as she walked in the room, "You stole my jewelry." Jewel barely had time to duck as the beer bottle went hurling through the air above her head. "What did I take from you this time," Jewel remarked almost sarcastically. "Your money, your jewels, or is it something else this time." "You know what you took you thief," another bottle followed this accusation. Jewel spent the next few minutes dodging beer bottles, and trying not to cut herself on the broken glass littering the floor.

Once her mother ran out of bottles, Jewel found herself trying to dodge other things, like cups, plates, and the occasional steak knife. Jewel dodged this all without much thought until the basket with the flower came flying her way. The flower and note fell to the floor between the two, and the basket went sailing past Jewel's head, barely missing her. Before she had time to think Jewel dove for the flower and note, then ran out the front door, with flower and note in hand. She had never run out on her mother.

Jewel walked almost absent-mindedly through the ruins of Midgar for what seemed like hours when she looked up. 'That building almost could have been a church at one time,' she thought, 'Oh well, wouldn't hurt just to look.' Jewel walked in and was amazed at what she saw, from the outside it looked like an old rundown building, but inside there was a beautiful pond with yellow flower petals floating in the water. Jewel was so in awe of the pond that she did not see the blonde haired man in the corner unsheathe an enormous sword.

"I almost thought you were too smart to take the bait, clone," the man said a split second before attacking. Jewel barely had time to duck out of the way of the massive sword. Confused Jewel tried to ask a question, but the blonde spiky haired man ignored her and took another swing. "You must have the wrong person" Jewel tried hastily before having to dodge another swing of the sword. This one aimed for her head. "You have the wrong person", she tried again, "I'm not a clone!" getting desperate Jewel tried to duck behind one of the columns, but the man followed her. The fight continued for what Jewel thought must have been at least two hours, before Jewel was just too exhausted to dodge anymore and collapsed. The man advanced on her with his sword held up, ready for a killing blow. But for some reason he stopped. "Leave" was all the man said. Jewel didn't stick around to find out the reason for the man's odd behavior, she ran out of the church with newfound strength, and didn't stop until she was well away from the church.

Jewel collapsed against the wall of a ruined building gasping for air, after the fight, and running the whole way from the church, Jewel felt ready to pass out. She had to make her way home still. She didn't want to think about what she would have to put up with when she got home. If her mother wasn't passed out yet she would still be angry. Jewel reached into her pocket and felt the necklace, 'was that what she was upset about?' Jewel wondered. She took it out of her pocket and looked at it. It was a simple yet beautiful. The silver still looked new, 'did her mother ever wear it?' Jewel wondered. Having enough strength to make it back to the house Jewel got up and began her slow walk home.

When she saw the motorcycle in the yard Jewel froze, her mother had another man over. The last man her mother brought home had been abusive. He cornered Jewel in her room and beat her. Jewel almost turned and ran she was afraid now. These men were never good news. Jewel marched forward though; she had to be there in case her mother needed her. No mater how bad her mother got, Jewel would always be there for her.

When she got in the house she heard arguing immediately, not wanting to make it worse Jewel kept quiet and got a glass of water from the sink. Drinking deeply from the glass Jewel thought about leaving the house for a few more hours, when she heard it, a gunshot.

Jewel raced up the stair and into her mother's room. It was silent and Jewel had to walk into the room a ways before she could see her mother. She was face down in a pool of blood not moving. The man was standing over Ashe's body with a small handgun in his hand. Jewel stood frozen for a long time before she screamed, and startled the man. He turned raised the gun and shot before Jewel had the chance to move, she barely saw the man's face.

The bullet hit her in the shoulder and Jewel screamed out before she hit the ground, causing her to scream again. The man raised the gun to shoot again, but something flashed through the air and the man fell to the ground, his upper body falling one way and his lower body falling the other. The last thing Jewel saw before she passed out was her mother laying facedown in her own blood.

Author notes- Yeah kind of weird, but it will get better once I get into the storyline. First chapter was just to kind of introduce some stuff. Post Advent Children, or at least that's what I want it to seem like. More FF7 influence coming later. And yes I did leave a cliffhanger, don't be too mad, I'll update soon.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own the characters they belong to Square-Enix, except Jewel and Ashe, but I know people by those names so they aren't really mine either.

Thank you, Thank you to the nice people who reviewed!

Child of the Sword- Chapter 2

Jewel dreamed, over and over, the same thing; hearing the gunshot, running up the stairs, seeing her mother, then the pain in her shoulder. It was an endless nightmare she couldn't escape from. The man standing over her mother, then mysteriously cut in two. The whole scene just kept haunting her.

The dream shifted suddenly, and Jewel saw her mother when Jewel was young. Ashe loved her daughter at one time, when Jewel was very, very, young. Before Ashe started to drink. In the dream Jewel was sitting with her mother in the living room of their house, Ashe loved Jewel's hair, and as a small child Jewel would sit in her mother's lap while her mother brushed her shoulder length hair. They did this every night until Jewel was around four, that's when Ashe took up drinking.

The dream changed again, this time Jewel was sharing a rare moment with her mother not too long ago, one of the rare moments they got along. Jewel was sitting in the living room reading a book, and Ashe was in the kitchen doing dishes. Ashe put the plate she was washing down and walked over to her daughter, she pulled out a necklace shaped like a heart with a tiny rose in the middle, her mother said, if anything happened, Jewel was supposed to take the necklace and run away.

* * *

A tall man stood over the unconscious girl, he looked over to the dead man, then finally to the woman. The man standing over the girl was tall, with long silver hair, which fell nearly to his knees. He wore nothing but black leather, and had bright green eyes, which matched Jewel's perfectly. The man looked back at the girl lying unconscious at his feet, she had a gunshot wound to her shoulder, which was bleeding freely. With surprising gentleness, he picked the girl up and carried her out of the house. There was no reason for her to see the gruesome sight again.

He carried the girl to a small house on the edge of the new city near Midgar called Edge. The man picked this house because there was nothing to distinguish it from the other houses in the area. They were all small and hastily thrown together, many of them looked deserted. No one ever saw the strange man enter the house. No one had seen him walk through the city with the unconscious girl. No one knew this man was alive. Sephiroth was as good as dead to the rest of the world.

* * *

Jewel woke from her dreams to pitch blackness, she thought for a minute she must be dreaming still, but she was in too much pain to be dreaming. Her right shoulder throbbed, and she felt sick. Jewel knew immediately she wasn't at home, nothing seemed familiar. She was lying on a small bed, not under any covers; the bed was made with almost military neatness. The room was too dark to be her room; nothing seemed familiar about this place. Trying to sit up brought on a whole new wave of pain, Jewel collapsed back down before she was able to get in a sitting position. Falling on her wounded shoulder, which brought on yet another wave of pain. Giving up Jewel fell back into unconsciousness.

* * *

Jewel dreamed again. This time it was of one of her mother's drunken rages. Ashe accused Jewel of stealing money again; Jewel had taken some to buy groceries like milk, and bread. Jewel was stuck dodging beer bottles, as she was chased around the house. Ashe finally passed out after what seemed like hours to Jewel. Jewel went to get a pillow and blankets for her mother, she always took care of her mother, no matter how bad she got.

The next dream was about the man who beat her. Her mother told the man a bruise she got was because Jewel hit her. The man came bursting into the room in the middle of the night, woke Jewel up threw her in a corner and started hitting and kicking her. Ashe just stood in the doorway and watched, Jewel hated her mom for that, but Ashe was so drunk she didn't remember any part of the incident, and Jewel hid the bruises.

The next dream was the one that kept haunting her, the gunshot, running up the stairs, seeing her mother dead, and seeing the man mysteriously cut in two. It repeated over and over, haunting Jewel.

* * *

This time when Jewel woke up there was a soft light coming in through the window on the other side of the room. Sunlight. The pain in her shoulder had lessened somewhat, so Jewel decided to try to get up again. This time she was met with dizziness, but after a moment it lessened, so Jewel tried to stand. It was painful, and therefore difficult, but she managed to stand up. The room was small and plain, with a door to her right, and a window in front of her, other than the bed, the room was unfurnished. Her shoulder throbbed a little, and Jewel noticed she wasn't wearing the t-shirt she had been wearing the day she was shot, this one was loose and black, Jewel vaguely remembered wearing a tighter blue t-shirt.

Gathering her nerve, Jewel opened the door half expecting the owner of the house to be standing on the other side waiting to attack her. There was no one, a short hallway led to what looked like a living room, Jewel saw as she stuck her head out the doorway. Walking further into the hall towards the living room Jewel saw a small kitchen, with a table. On that table Jewel saw the longest sword she would ever see, a katana nearly seven feet long. A note sat next to the sword, it read, "Take the sword and leave." Nothing else. The handwriting was a lot different that the note in the basket, this handwriting was simpler, the other note had some flourishes to some of the letters, nothing that would make it fancy, just small flourishes. There was a bag on the floor, Jewel picked it up with her left hand, so she didn't hurt her shoulder, the pain was becoming easier to ignore. She set it on the table and looked inside, in it was some gil, a few pairs of clothes from her house, and a little food. Not much, but it was better than having nothing. Jewel looked back at the sword. She doubted she could lift the thing; she knew she couldn't carry it anywhere, at least not one handed.

Looking around she spotted her shoes by what looked like a front door. She wondered if she had even taken them off before the man shot her. The living room was simply furnished too, just a couch, and a table. The kitchen didn't have much either. Jewel looked back at the sword and note, Take the sword and leave, there was nothing written on the other side of the note, and there was no note in the bag. All she had was, Take the sword and leave.

Jewel got her shoes, and somehow, managed to put them on left-handed. She grabbed the bag next, and slung it over her good shoulder. Then she turned to the sword. It was enormous, and heavy, Jewel managed to lift it, barely, with her left hand, there was no way she would be able to carry it any distance.

Walking through the back streets of Edge with the sword resting on her good shoulder Jewel tried to avoid all people, she didn't want to be seen with this thing, people might think she was Sephiroth himself. Jewel knew where she wanted to go, she wanted to go home, but she didn't know if she had the courage to face that again. Turning a corner Jewel saw a man sitting on the ground. Not wanting to be seen she ducked back around the corner, and took a longer route to where her house was.

Walking down a back alley Jewel glanced in one of the buildings that had an open door, a man was sitting on a couch watching a little boy cry who was tied by the ankle to a heater in the corner. She wanted to do something for the kid, but didn't know what. Just then ten police officers burst into the room with their guns out. The man jumped behind the couch and pulled out his own gun. The officers and the man shot at each other until the man was hit. He died instantly. The officers turned to the now silent kid. He had be caught in the cross fire and was dead. Jewel heard sirens in the distance getting louder, backup to help the officers. Not wanting to be seen Jewel ran. She wished this violence never happened. An innocent boy had been killed for no reason.

When Jewel stopped running, and looked up, she was at her front door. She set the heavy sword on the ground and looked at the door, nothing looked different. But Jewel knew that when she opened the door, nothing would be how it used to be.

Gathering her courage Jewel opened the door. It was unlocked. She half dragged the sword in the house, tired of carrying the thing; she set it down just inside the door. Nothing downstairs had been touched, and she was too afraid to go upstairs. She walked into the kitchen, and went to set the bag down, but something caught in her hair. It was the necklace, after untangling the bag, necklace, and her hair, Jewel looked at the necklace, the small rose sat perfectly in the middle of the heart. Jewel wondered how the necklace got around her neck, but got distracted when she saw something on the counter, a note from her mother. It said,

Jewel,

The necklace is yours, you deserve better than this. Take the necklace and start your own life. You have taken care of me far too often, when I should have taken care of you. You won't have to worry about me much longer.

Ashe

Jewel was in shock, she didn't realize until after she had slid to the floor that she was crying. How could her mother have known that she would die? Did her mother have that man come over here to kill just to have him kill her? She wouldn't have done that Jewel decided. But why would she say something like that in her letter. Was Ashe planning to kill herself? Or was there something else, a disease possibly? Ashe did drink a lot. Jewel just sat there in the kitchen crying over the letter for hours. When she stopped and looked up the sky was dark. Jewel glanced toward the doorway, and saw the hilt of the sword. Getting up she walked to the sword and picked it up with her left hand. She would learn to use it. It was all she had.

The sword had no proper sheath; therefore, she couldn't figure out a way to carry the thing. After searching the house for materials, which it was poorly lacking, to make a sheath, Jewel sat at the kitchen table with a cardboard box and a roll of duct tape. She was cutting the box into thick strips she could fold around the blade of the sword, and wrap the cardboard in duct tape. It was a rough sheath, but when she was done, the sword fit into its makeshift sheath, and she could make a strap out of an old belt she found so she could carry the sword across her back. After she was finished Jewel left the house with her bag, and the sword. In the bag were a few more pairs of clothes, the food, gil, and the two notes. The sword was strapped across her back. Jewel locked the door behind her, and vowed she wouldn't come back, as she disappeared into the darkness.

Author notes- (1.) I'm Alaskan, the duct tape had to find it's way in here somehow. (2.) I don't think I like this chapter as much as the first one. I'll try to make the next one better, but I don't think the next chapter will be ready until next week, sorry, I have a Statistics mid term, and a speech in public speaking due this week not to mention an English essay, but it will be on as soon as possible. I promise. (3.) I wanted Jewel to end up with the sword somehow in this chapter, I just wasn't sure how, I hope this way works. (4.) Yeah and I do suck at grammar and punctuation, it drives my English instructor crazy. (5.) The part about the shootout is true, it happened here last night it was crazy, cops everywhere, who would have thought, in our little town. Creeps me out just thinking about it.


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own any of the characters from Final Fantasy 7. 

Child of the Sword- Chapter 3

Jewel walked the quiet streets of Edge, the sun had barely begun to rise when she left her house, but now it was around one thirty in the afternoon. Jewel still kept to the alleys and avoided all people. When she did have to go to a public place, to get food, or go into a store, the sword was always well hidden in an alley. She wanted no one to know of the swords existence.

Jewel had started feeling tired a few hours back, but wasn't sure where she could go, sleeping in the alley seemed a little farfetched, but she couldn't bring the sword into an Inn. It was staring to get dark, when Jewel finally convinced herself to sleep in an alley, it was fully dark, and Jewel was very tired when she found somewhere decent enough to hide so she could sleep. A pile of cement, wood and other materials used to build a building hid the space Jewel was sleeping in. She would wake up early and leave before anyone came to get anything from the pile, Jewel decided. She slid the sword in beside where she'd be sleeping, threw the bag where she would lay her head and crawled in falling asleep almost before she set her head on the bag she was using as a pillow.

There was a strange noise outside of the space Jewel was using, it sounded like a motor, but not like any she had heard before. There was a faint light in the sky, Jewel noticed. The sound of the motor, Jewel couldn't think of anything else to call it, was getting closer.

Looking out Jewel saw two men approaching on motorcycles, they were both wearing helmets that covered their faces, so she couldn't identify them. They rode to the construction site, Jewel could see that she was in a construction site now in the dim light, and stopped. Both men sat on their bikes apparently talking to one another. Jewel tried to get a better look at the pair, but in the process of shifting her body she hit her shoulder on a piece of wood sticking out of the pile she was hiding behind and cried out before she could stifle it. The men on the bikes both turned towards her. One got off his bike and started walking to the pile; panicked Jewel reached for the sword, but had no idea what she would do with it. The man was coming closer, so Jewel did the only thing she could think of doing, she grabbed the sword and bag and ran.

The next thing Jewel heard was the sound she feared most since her decision to run. Just seconds after starting to run Jewel heard the sound of the motorcycle engines, coming her direction. She was about to try to duck behind another pile of wood and cement when the sound of the motorcycle was suddenly on top of her, and she felt an arm around her waist. All of the sudden Jewel found herself in front of one of the drivers on a motorcycle, before she knew it her sword was being ripped out of her hands, she turned to try look where the man was putting it in time to see him throw it to his companion, who caught it easily. The man turned suddenly to Jewel's surprise, she screamed and grabbed the gas tank, the man just laughed at her, Jewel closed her eyes and held on for her life, it was obvious she wasn't getting out of this anytime soon.

After what felt like several hours to Jewel, the motorcycles stopped. The man got off behind Jewel, and walked away. Jewel tried to move from her position on the gas tank, but the effort brought another wave of pain to her shoulder, and she cried out.

One of the men turned at the noise and laughed. Both of the men walked to where Jewel was on the motorcycle and grabbed her. They pulled her off the motorcycle and threw her on the ground. Jewel cried out in pain, but the men just kept laughing.

After they pulled her off the motorcycle the two men started to pull her toward the small house, but one left, he came back quickly though and Jewel was thrown on the ground again. Jewel looked up to se one of the men standing above her with her sword, Jewel cried out knowing it would do no good, she cried out again when she felt the sword cut deeply into her right arm, the men just continued to laugh. Jewel was picked up again and forced into the house, once in the man threw her on the ground. One took off his helmet and she was finally able to see who he was. He had hair a little longer than his shoulders, the other took off his helmet next, he had shorter hair, but both of them had silver hair and green eyes. Jewel screamed again.

* * *

A man watched the whole scene from the shadows of a nearby building, his eyes narrowed in hate as he watched the two men pull the girl from the motorcycle, and drag her toward the house. He was further enraged when he saw on of the men take her own sword and cut her with it. He watched as they pulled her in the house, when the door shut, was when he made his move.

* * *

Jewel regained consciousness in a small dark room, she remembered being hit after she screamed, but didn't remember losing consciousness. She tried sitting up but her shoulder hut, and now her arm as well, the wound was still bleeding slightly, so she couldn't have been out for very long. 

Jewel looked around the room and tried to listen before she tried to get up again. The room was empty, and she heard nothing outside the door. It was open slightly so Jewel took her chances trying to escape.

She peaked into the main room and almost fainted at what she saw. Both of the men, or clones she thought they must be, were dead. One had been cut apart and blood covered most of the room because of it. The other was laying face down with her sword sticking out of his back. Feeling very ill Jewel tried to find the courage to step into the room, she knew she would have to try to retrieve the sword, but was trying not to think of how she would do that. The thought passed her mind just then, how did these men end up this way? Jewel grabbed the doorframe to keep from falling over, "I need to get out of here," Jewel said to herself quietly.

Jewel still hadn't left the doorway, when she gathered the strength to move, she tried to step around the blood all over the floor, she just wanted to get the sword and run away from this place. Jewel was almost across the room when she heard a deep male voice from beside her. Frightened enough for one day Jewel passed out.

* * *

Sephiroth stood against the wall with his arms crossed looking the scene in front of him. The girl was unconscious in the room to the right of where he was standing. He had considered taking the girl out of the house so she didn't have to see this, but if she was going to learn how to use the sword she needed to know what it could do. 

Sephiroth was deep in his own thoughts when he heard the girl in the doorway. She didn't seem to notice him so he stayed where he was while the girl surveyed the scene in front of her. Her face was very pale and she looked like she might be sick, Sephiroth gave her several minutes and was about to say something when she started to move forward cautiously, so she didn't step on any of the blood. He walked up to her to try to talk to her, but she passed out before he was able to get a word out. Sephiroth caught the girl before she hit the ground. She was out cold. He picked her up in his arms and carried her outside sitting her against the wall before going back into the house to get the sword.

He pulled it from the dead clone and started to wipe the blood off, but an idea came to him, so he just put the sword in the sheath the girl made and slung it over one shoulder before going back outside to pick the girl up and leave.

* * *

Jewel woke up in a plain small room; she looked around recognizing where she was. She had been in this room before. Sitting up slowly so she didn't disturb her shoulder, Jewel looked around the room, the sword was leaning against the wall in a corner, and her bag was on the floor next to the sword. Jewel noticed the bandage around her arm, and new bandages around her shoulder, both were throbbing dully. Getting out of bed brought a little more pain, but nothing unbearable. Jewel remembered what had been done to the two clones just then and almost vomited; she knelt on the floor until her nausea passed. 

When she felt well enough she walked to the door and paused, someone was moving around on the other side. Jewel had a good idea who it was, and didn't want to meet him. The man who gave her the sword, and the man she knew for years must be her father. She backed away from the door not wanting to see him. She was afraid of who it was, her mother had never confirmed nor denied who her father was, but from the color of her hair and eyes, as well as her height had given her a good idea who it was.

Jewel backed away from the door and sat on the bed, she looked toward the sword again and noticed the blood on the hilt. She started crying, she wanted to go back to the way things were before she found the note, she knew finding the note wouldn't have affected the outcome of these past few days, but her life before her mother was killed was much better than her life now. Jewel curled up on the bed and cried herself to sleep; it felt good to cry after all. She hadn't cried much, she didn't think crying was necessary, but right now, crying felt like the right thing to do.

The next time Jewel woke up it was still daylight, or daylight again, she was warm and comfortable, there was a blanket covering her, and her neither shoulder nor arm hurt her much. Lying there in bed was all she wanted to do, she glanced over to where the sword was sitting, it was still there. She half hoped it would disappear. She rolled over in the bed, and fell back asleep.

* * *

Sephiroth had heard the girl moving around in her room, and was about to enter the room when he heard her sobbing. He stood outside of the door until it stopped. When he was sure she must be asleep he walked into the room and looked at her. She looks like her mother when she sleeps like that, he thought. He carefully pulled the blankets out from underneath her and covered her up, he noticed the necklace around her neck, the one he had given her mother. He turned and left the room leaving the girl to sleep.

* * *

Jewel woke up again, it was night now, but there was a soft light coming from the other side of the door, which cast a strange shadow around the room. She was a little scared of what she was planning to do next, but had decided she was going to do it. Jewel walked to the door, and placed her hand on the handle, she was scared of who she would find on the other side of the door, but she also knew she couldn't hide in that room forever. The thought had passed her mind of sneaking out, or trying to leave while he was gone, but Jewel was tired of being a helpless coward hiding and being pushed around. She opened the door slowly and looked out the door. She didn't see him immediately so she walked further into the hallway. When she got to the end of the hallway she saw him. He was sitting on the couch reading a book under a lamp, Sephiroth. He looked up at her and Jewel froze where she was, staring at him, unable to move or talk. He just calmly put the book down stood up and walked over to her. He went into the kitchen got a glass from the cupboard and filled it with water from the sink, handed it to her and told her to sit down nodding to a chair near her. He walked back to the couch and picked up his book. 

The girl was standing in the hallway when Sephiroth looked up, she was pale and frightened looking. He got her a glass of water and told her to sit down, but she stayed standing there. He sat back down and picked up the book again. She sat in a chair and looked at the glass of water in her hands. "It's not drugged if that's what you think," he said. The girl jumped at the sound of his voice and blushed before taking a sip of the water.

They both sat in silence for several minutes, Sephiroth sitting calmly on the couch, and Jewel in the chair frightened. Sephiroth finally broke the silence, "What is your name?"

Jewel was stunned by the question. He didn't know her name. "Jewel," she answered quietly.

"Your mother never said what your name was." He replied.

They both sat in silence for several more minutes. Sephiroth continued reading his book, and Jewel studied her glass. Jewel finally asked quietly, "Why did you give me your sword?"

"You need to learn how to defend yourself," was the short reply. The silence continued for several more minutes, then Sephiroth said, "Go get your sword" Jewel was startled by the request, but quickly complied.

When she came back Sephiroth handed her a cloth and told her to clean it. Jewel looked at the blood on the hilt alone and almost vomited the memory too fresh in her mind. She tried to wipe some of the blood off the blade but the sight of the blood was almost too much for her, she had to look away.

Sephiroth walked over to her and look the sword from her. "You have to know what this sword does, so you don't make mistakes." That was all he said as he walked away to one of the back rooms with the sword.

* * *

Author notes- 1. Sorry for the little delay. I have had a little bit of bad luck. My computer got messed up, then I got propane on my hand and it burned it bad enough to be painful to type, as well as do other things. Oh well that's what I get for working at a gas station I guess. So yeah I made this chapter longer because of the wait. 2. Next chapter is going to be on in a couple days, I already have most of it typed. 


	4. Chapter 4

I don't own anything Final Fantasy

Child of the Sword- Chapter 4

It was several minutes before Jewel was able to move. She felt ill from seeing the blood again, and she was stunned by Sephiroth's sudden reaction. She looked towards the door he disappeared through before getting up. After she was sure he wasn't coming back out Jewel went to the small room she had been sleeping in. She got into her bag and pulled out the note from her mother. She reread it again. "You wont have to worry about me much longer." How could her mother have known this would happen? When an answer didn't come Jewel moved to put the note back in her bag but stopped. Why would her mother put so much emphasis on the necklace?

Sephiroth cleaned the sword off with the ease of much practice after he shut the door behind him. He set it in the corner and looked at it. The girl would have to learn how to use it one way or another.

Jewel sat on her bed for several minutes thinking about the note. Why would her mother want her to have the necklace after all this time? She knew her father had given it to her mother, but Ashe never talked about anything to do with her father, and Jewel hardly ever saw the necklace.

"Your mother told me to leave when she found out she was pregnant", Jewel didn't realize he had walked up behind her until she heard his voice. Jewel had got up early that morning and was sitting at the table, when she woke up; the first thing she saw was the sword. She didn't want to be around that thing. "I tried to give her money, and help her with you when you were a baby. She wouldn't have anything to do with me after the baby was born." He walked to the other side of the table so he could see her face. "So I gave her a necklace as a parting gift and left." Jewel glanced up fleetingly, and then continued to stare at the table. "She was supposed to give it to you if anything happened. That's how I would know she couldn't take care of you." Jewel shifted in her seat. "I tried to take you from her once, she was drunk and wouldn't let me have you, it wasn't very long ago, she fell and hit herself. She had a man over later that night. He beat you when she told him that bruise came from you."

Jewel listened to him; he knew so much about her and her past, and the necklace, he knew her mother wanted her to have it if anything happened. He knew about the man, and he knew about her mother.

"Ashe wanted to die, she wanted you dead too," Jewel stared at him, "she wanted that man to come kill her, and then you. She knew you were smart, so she left the note in case you lived. I've been watching you and your mother for the past several weeks, I knew she was going to do something, but I didn't know what, so I've been following you and your mother. That's how I was at your house shortly after your mother was shot."

Jewel sat staring at him. He turned and walked to the door, Jewel felt like someone had punched her in the stomach, she stared where he was standing. He opened the door and prepared to walk out, but looked back first and said, "don't leave the house." With that he was gone. Jewel felt ill now, she didn't want to be here, the thought just kept going through her head, why would my mother want to kill me.

After no answers can Jewel got up and wandered around the small house. There wasn't much, her small room, the door that led to where Sephiroth slept, she guessed, the living room, and kitchen. Jewel looked in the refrigerator, and cabinets, but didn't find much food. The house was empty. Giving into boredom she sat on the couch.

Sephiroth walked in the door to see the girl asleep on the couch, she was curled up slightly, using the arm of the couch for a pillow. Her silver hair fell over part of her face, which made her look almost angelic. He set the packages in his arms on the table, and looked over at her again. Her left hand was resting on her right shoulder.

Sephiroth sat watching her, her face looked like her mothers, but the color of her hair and eyes were very similar to his own. He picked up his book and continued reading.

Jewel woke up without really realizing she went to sleep. It was dark in the room, and quiet. She was still on the couch but a blanket had been thrown over her. Getting up she grabbed the blanket and walked back to the room she was using. She bumped into something though on the way to her room. She hadn't seen him and almost fell over from the impact. Hitting the wall stopped her from falling.

She looked up at his face, it was completely impassive, he walked past her into the living room. Jewel just stared after him as he picked up the book he had been reading and walked back towards his room. He stopped and turned before he got to the door and said, "Get some sleep, we are going out tomorrow." Jewel stood in the hallway, once again stunned by his directness. He walked into his room and shut the door. Jewel looked at the door for several seconds before retreating to her own room.

It was early when she heard the door open, and he walked in. It wasn't light out yet, and Jewel felt like she had only gotten a few hours sleep, even though she must have slept the entire day. The sun was just barely beginning to show a faint light in the sky. "Get your sword and come with me," his voice shook her from her thoughts. She quickly complied, grabbing the sword and running after him.

He led the way outside and around the corner of the small house. Parked behind some bushes, where it wouldn't be seen was a large black motorcycle. Sephiroth placed several small bundles he was carrying in a compartment, and stuck her sword along side another shorter one already on the motorcycle before turning to Jewel. "Get on," was all he said. Jewel's only experience with a motorcycle hadn't been a good one, as she remembered the clones. She climbed on, but hesitantly, he handed her a helmet, and she watched as he rolled up his hair and stuck it underneath the helmet as he put it on, Jewel quickly copied him. It was a good idea, long silver hair would be easy to recognize. He climbed on in front of Jewel and started the motorcycle. Jewel grabbed around his waist as he gunned the engine and took off.

This trip was not as eventful as the one with the clones. Sephiroth seemed to sense her discomfort and kept the antics to a minimum. Although Jewel swore that some of the things he did were completely unnecessary. Jewel kept her arms firmly clenched around his waist, and her face buried in his back with her eyes closed. Even though she didn't look she could tell they were outside of the city after several minutes, and it was several more minutes still until they stopped.

When she looked she saw nothing but some sandy ground, and large rocks dotted here and there. Sephiroth got off the motorcycle and grabbed the two swords. Jewel got off a little more slowly, and stood carefully, she was still a little shaken from the ride. Sephiroth handed her, her longer sword and began explaining that she would need to learn how to use it.

They both stood in an empty field outside of the city. No one would be out here; there were too many monsters to be outside of the city without a reason, so they wouldn't be seen. Sephiroth stood several feet away facing Jewel holding a shorter sword. And Jewel stood barely able to lift the longer sword. Before Jewel could react Sephiroth came at her, she was barely able to lift the sword in time to block the attack, she wasn't so lucky blocking the second. Her sword slid across the ground several feet. Sephiroth didn't relent in his attacks, Jewel had to roll out of the way of another attack. She grabbed the sword and tried to block the next attack, but it was knocked out of her hands again. Jewel looked around frantically for the sword, and found it; it was 20 feet to her left. She tried to dodge another swing of Sephiroth's sword and grab her sword, but was too slow. The pommel of Sephiroth's sword connected with the back of her head hard enough for her to see sparks, before passing out.

When she woke up she was lying on the ground still, but a blanket had been rolled up and put under her head. She sat up and tried to look around, the motion made her head hurt at first but the pain quickly passed. Her sword was lying near her; she looked around and saw neither Sephiroth nor the motorcycle. She began to think he might have left her when she heard the sound of an engine. When she looked to the source of the noise though there were two motorcycles. Sephiroth was fighting the blond man who had attacked her before. Sephiroth was able to knock the blond off his bike after a short amount of time, and came racing back towards her.

Jewel hardly had time to grab her sword before he stopped in front of her and demanded she get on. She took one glance back at the blond man, who had now gotten back on his motorcycle and was quickly gaining distance. Jewel complied quickly, and they sped off towards the city. The man followed them until they got further into the city of Midgar, there Sephiroth was able to lose him. They stopped someplace Jewel was unfamiliar with. It looked like it might have been warehouses at one time, but it was hard to tell now. Sephiroth got off the bike and pulled open one of the doors, Jewel got off the bike and followed him inside the building. Inside was empty except for a small corner, where there were several boxes, a small bed and a small table. Sephiroth pushed the bike into the building, and shut the door.

He handed Jewel her sword, and walked to the middle of the large warehouse holding his sword. Jewel followed, though hesitantly, this round was not as short as the first. His attacks were slower this time, and Jewel was able to black more attacks, but after the fourth time her sword went sliding across the ground. Sephiroth walked over to it, picked it up and set it against the wall. Jewel was relieved, her shoulder hurt, and she was tired.

"Who was that man, with the blond hair," Jewel asked after several minutes of silence. Sephiroth glanced at her before responding, "His name is Cloud Strife, he's try to kill all of the clones. There is a whole group of people who follow Strife. They call themselves Avalanche. They might try to kill you, avoid them." Jewel remembered her first encounter with this man. She had no intention of going anywhere near him.

Author notes- something big is going to happen next chapter. I hope no one hates me for it.


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